Hawthorne, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance required
- 7 ft above curb for tree branches
- Trigger zone
- Within 35 ft of intersecting curblines
- Companion cap
- Fences/hedges limited to 30 in. in same zone
- Classification
- Infraction under § 1.22.010
- Fine schedule
- $100 / $200 / $500 for 1st/2nd/3rd+
Summary
At street intersections, Hawthorne bars property owners from letting tree branches hang lower than seven feet above the curb within thirty-five feet of where the curblines meet, a vision-clearance rule in Municipal Code § 12.20.010(B) enforced citywide as an infraction.
Overhanging Branches. No person owning or in possession of real property located at or near the intersection of any streets shall permit the branch of any tree on such property to hang or extend lower than seven feet at right angles above the nearest curb, when such branch is nearer than thirty-five feet to the point where the adjacent curblines, extended, intersect.
Full Breakdown
20, Obstructing Intersection, targets sight-line hazards at street corners. Subsection A caps fences, signposts, hedges, shrubbery, or trees at thirty inches above the nearest curb when located within thirty-five feet of the point where adjacent curblines, extended, would intersect, unless the property is zoned commercial or industrial and the owner obtains a building inspector's permit first. Subsection B addresses tree limbs specifically: no owner or possessor of real property at or near such an intersection may permit a tree branch on that property to hang or extend lower than seven feet, measured at right angles above the nearest curb, within that same thirty-five-foot zone. 080 staying the process. 010 (A) and (B) as infractions.
Violations & Fines
Violating the seven-foot branch clearance, or the companion thirty-inch fence and hedge cap, in the qualifying intersection zone is charged as an infraction under § 1.22.010, punishable under § 1.22.030's fine schedule: $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation of the same section within one year, and $500 for each additional violation within that year. The city attorney retains discretion under § 1.22.040 to instead charge repeat or serious cases as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to an intersection does Hawthorne's tree clearance rule apply?
What is the penalty for letting a corner tree hang too low in Hawthorne?
Will the city ever trim a hazardous corner tree itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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